Annika

This is Annika, my own original character. These ATCs are all handdrawn with ink pen and marker:

Interview with Traci Tompkins (Phoenix)

I´m sorry for the delay in posting this interview, I hope Traci will forgive me ;) She´s a fellow artist from ATCsforALL. You can check out her beautiful work on her Blog or her Etsy-Shop 

© Traci Tompkins

1. How did you become interested in art? Any formal training?

I have been drawing faces since I was 12, and drew/sketched photos that I had for gifts for friends and family. I took drawing classes at the community college near home while I was in high school, and found a love of drawing the human form as well as pretty much anything! I have taken art courses throughout my life at whatever institution I was attending. For example, while getting my Bachelor's in Psychology I took courses at the university. I've probably taken enough course over the years to equal a degree, but don't have one in art. I have taken online courses and participated in online yearly projects that have taught me more than I can say. I think it is because I am now ripe to receive the learning whereas before I discovered mail art I was too afraid to put what I'd learned down on the page.

2. Where do you live? Do you have a family of pets? Tell us a little about yourself (if you want to).

I'm 45 and examining my life from a real crossroads at this time. I live in Talent, Oregon, just north of Ashland, Oregon. I live with my best friend and my 6 year old daughter, who is the light and love of my life. I have a Master's in counseling psychology, I read the tarot, I am a pagan, and “wanna be” hippie. I provide child care for the state of Oregon currently, but am looking into getting a certificate in Graphic Arts so that I can work in the art field while I do my own art on the side. This is a whole new chapter in my life.

3. How did you discover ATCs and Mail Art?

A friend that was a member mentioned it to me in passing. I had no idea what a life changing remark that was! Mail art, specifically my art home at Atcsforall.com, is the reason I am doing art at all and so much now. It awakened my caged inner artist, and now I can't and won't stop!

Why does Mail Art appeal to you?

Mail Art appeals to me because I can put my artwork out there and have it seen, no matter if I think it is good or not. My inner critic, as is true of most artists, is rough, so I set that aside and upload pieces anyway. I specifically like swaps because they give me topics upon which to base my learning and improvement in different subjects and media. I can experiment and improve at the same time. Plus I love receiving original artwork by other artists, not only because they are one of a kind treasures, but because each piece from another gives me more inspiration.

4. What formats do you like and make?

ATCs mainly, though I've dabbled in rolos, chunkies, and APCs. I mainly like to sketch, draw, and do zentangles, but have expanded into colored pencil, marker, and some mixed media techniques.

5. Which art themes do you like?

Currently, faces. I'm obsessed with learning how to draw and color expressive yet realistic faces, and am taking 3 classes online on that subject. I also like to draw magical themes, subjects related to pagan or Wiccan festivals, metaphysical themes, mythological beings, anything that expresses magic of some kind. Honestly, I will try and draw anything!

6. Do you have any favorite techniques?

Besides sketching and drawing, I love to zentangle; I've found this to be not only relaxing and fun, but I've gotten positive responses about the zens I've done. Also, I feel that doing the detailed line work has helped my drawing overall, in that I can better break down a reference photo into parts to render it.

7. Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

My goal is to become better and better as an artist, to find my own creative style, and to continue to express myself through art. What could have been a lifelong journey has only begun in the last year, and I feel full of energy and creativity as I quest to get technically and stylistically better in my art. I've never had the guts to call myself an artist before, but now I do. That's pretty big for me, so thank you Mail Art!

Oh my, it´s been a while since I last posted something. But a lot of stuff happened and I just wasn´t able to focus on ALL things - so blogging had to take a back seat. This doesn´t mean that I didn´t art. So here I am again - and some ATCs I made in the meanwhile. These were all made for swaps at ATCsforAll.

And the winner is....

kittythf won the ATC from the blog giveaway!

Congratulations!!!   

Now please send me a PM through atcsforall with you address, so I can mail your card to you. (I thought I already had your addy, but .... ahem....;))

My workspace

New ATCs

These are for Cathy´s It´s all about Marie-Swap on ATCsforAll and are handdrawn with ink pen, marker, gel pen and colored pencils.



Interview with Kitty van den Heuvel

Kitty is a wonderful artist (and wonderful person, too) from the Netherlands. I was lucky to meet her "in Person" last summer during a Meet-up from a few members of ATCsforAll. You can check out her art at her etsy-shop and her new website, where she also will be offering workshops. She kindly agreed to answer a few questions.

1. How did you become interested in art? Have you had any formal art training?

  It just happened... my mother has always been very creative and I think it is in my genes. I never went to any formal art training, I actually studied economics :-). About 10 years ago I decided to work 4 days instead of 5 and at that moment I also decided that I needed to do something useful at my day off. I enrolled in a sculpture class, working with stone. I did this a year or 2, and really liked it. Then moved on to painting and took classes in oil painting. Learned a lot and moved from oil painting to portraits, to pastels, to collage and mixed media. Every year I am going on a painting holiday for at least a week and I love taking workshops. I am not in a regular painting class at the moment, as I travel regurlarly for my work.

2. Where do you live? Do you have a family of pets? Tell us a little about yourself (if you want to).

 I live in the Netherlands, in a small village close to Utrecht. I live in a lovely house all by myself. I have never been married and have no kids. And no pets by the way. I am a freelance project manager and work for (international) companies on projects between Finance and IT. For example implementations of new financial systems, but also restructuring and streamlining work processes. I do this 4 days a week.


3. How did you discover ATCs and Mail Art? Why does Mail Art appeal to you?

  I was on WetCanvas for a few years and sometimes participated in their projects, sending one postcard to each participant. They called it ATC sometimes, but I had no idea how big it was! And when I was in between projects I had a lot of time to surf the internet. I found some videos on Youtube from Milliande and enrolled to her site. And discovered ATCs and ATC swaps! And after a while discover ATCs for all. And now I am hooked. I love making ATCs, inchies, twinchies as well (but they don't trade well) and now chunkies!

4. What formats do you like and make?

 I love making ATCs, inchies, twinchies and chunkies, but I also work on bigger size paper and canvasses. Currently I am working on canvasses in the size of 10x10 cms (4"x4") and 20x20cms (8"x8")

5. Which art themes do you like?

 I love everthing well made, collage and mixed media especially. Themes that I like are birds, butterflies, nature inspired cards, steampunk, zetti, black and white, vintage, etc.

6. Do you have any favorite techniques?

At the moment I love collaging and mixed media. But I love learning new techniques and using the ones I already know.

7. Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

Yes! I have started a new company at the beginning of this year. It is called Kitty's art & crafts. I am working at my website at the moment www.kittysartencrafts.nl. This year will be used mainly for research. I want to focus on organizing workshops for mixed media, art journalling, atcs, new techniques, etc. I am very excited about this and very excited where it will bring me. To be continued!